Battling through a smoke filled room is the stuff of nightmares.

But for a group of teenagers from Sarrat Youth Project it was an experience that ‘tasted of icing sugar’.

More than a dozen young people have been completing part of their Duke of Edinburgh award with members of the crew at Rickmansworth Fire Station.

When asked what they had been doing, during the project, Sam Lees (14) explained they had been through a smoked filled room, used the fire hydrants, built a damn and climbed the towering ladders.

He said despite the smoke filled room being disorientating; it had a distinct taste of ‘icing sugar’

He said:  “We went in a big house filled with smoke; you cannot see anything and have to rely on your colleagues.  We used the hydrants which take two people to carry and we made a dam so you can get water out of a lake.”
Aislin Ward (14) added: “I really liked using the hose. It was very powerful but we had lots of people behind us.”

The project, run by Youth Connexions Hertfordshire and in partnership with the Hertfordshire Fire service has attracted both young men and women.

Youth worker Margareth Case-Toussaint said: “I need to say a big thank you to the fire fighters for their hard work and also to the young people for their participation and enthusiasm.” ‘The young people have shown a great deal of discipline by attending each session on time, getting into their uniforms and performing drills to a high standard.

Fire-fighter Phil said they had been really impressed by the group and despite some initial nerves; all the young people had enthusiastically taken part in every task that was set for them.

For further information about the Sarratt Youth Project or future Duke of Edinburgh Award programmes,  please contact Pauline Butcher on 01442 454060